Last summer, in May, June & August, I organized foraging walks for a group of international women. I’m part of a Facebook group called Girls Gone International Oslo, which gathers women from all over the world that are connected by living or traveling to Oslo. Moving here was challenging; I feared returning to a big city. After almost 4 years of solo traveling, living in remote Lofoten, and peaceful times of doing photography, embroidery, and learning about plants, I was skeptical of moving to a capital of a famous migration and travel destination.
My worries were met with a comforting blanket of supportive people, inspirational activities, and organizations supporting the transition. I am grateful to everyone who has contributed to my feeling here like Home.
Foraging walks are a way for me to give back to the community. In Lofoten, where I lived, I spent much time with Martina and Manuela from Viking Terapi (https://viking-terapi.no). Those two passionate souls taught me about plants and their preservations. Together we went on long walks into the woods and fields to gather medicinal flowers and leaves that benefit our health and help as homemade remedies. I learned a lot from these two gentle humans. They shared their knowledge freely and inspired me to learn more. Their website is an excellent resource in Norwegian, English, and German.
Nature is abundant – in flora, fauna, and good humans. I am so blessed that I’m sensitive enough to understand how this is interconnected – nature can be our medicine cabinet and source of creative inspiration. I wasn’t always like that, so I know this can be taught. Through a mindful presence in nature, contemplation of leaves, flowers, stems, branches, clouds, and everything else nature provides, we can stimulate our creativity. We also learn through observation; closely looking and natural elements can teach us about shapes and colors and spark our imagination.
I can’t wait for this season to start! I usually go outside the town, onto meadows and forest paths, looking for fresh herbs. I only know about 20 plants now, but this is much more than what I need to benefit my health and creativity. I love embroidering medicinal plants. They also inspire me to create shapes and combine colors that naturally don’t occur in nature. I simply love this playground, and after a few years of experiencing nature, I can’t wait to gather another circle of women and go into the wilderness. We usually share some memories from childhood, inspire each other, and support this transition to a Norwegian life.
I will be forever grateful for the people who have contributed to my abundant life here on this beautiful planet. I can’t imagine who I would be without them. They have helped me and lifted me up during struggles. Foraging walks and teaching embroidery are my way of passing forward what someone has once taught me. This way, I can contribute to making this world more sustainable.
Sign up for my newsletter on the main page – I will write about future walks there. In the meantime, check this gallery for some inspiration for embroidery. The plants I collected were: Yarrow in two colours and types, Coltsfoot, Lavender, Fireweed, Meadowsweet, Wild Rose and Mugwort. Let me know if you have any questions, I am here to help 🙂
